Hair drier



July 26, 1932. P. KUNIAN ET AL 1,869,012

HAIR DRIER Filed Dec. 14, 1929 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE PAUL KUNIAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, AND ARCHER M. DOUGLAS, OF ST.PAUL, MINNESOTA;

SAID DOUGLAS ASSIGNOR.TO SAID KUNIAN HAIR DRIER Application filedDecember 14, 1929. Serial No. 414,038.

This invention relates to hair driers of the type wherein a stream ofair is pro ected against the scalp through a casing having a bethoroughly mixed before projection,

against the scalp, the heating element being arranged annularly behindthe fan or impeller and of substantially the diameter of the fan,whereby the same will act as an efiicient mixer, as well as a means forprojecting the air against the scalp.

It is a further object to provide a hair drier as above described,wherein the intake of air will be relatively non-restricted andunlimited and whereby the discharge of air will be somewhat restrictedin order that particles of heated air will be thoroughly admixed withthe particles of unheated air before projection upon the scalp.

Still another object is to provide a hair drier, wherein theheatingelement and mounting for the same may be readily removed for repair orreplacement without necessitating disconnection of bolts, screws orelectric wires.

These and other objects of the invention will be fully set forth in thefollowing description made in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views and wherein,

Fig. 1 is a view mostly in side elevation of an embodiment of ourinvention, showing the casing and confining hood in vertical sectiontaken longitudinally of the casing;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the casing;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the heating element and itsmounting-detached; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showingthe manner in which the mounting for the heating element is attached.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing includes anopen ended tubular casing 6, tapering from its rear ,to its forward end,the said forward end having suitably secured thereto an enlargeddome-shaped hood 7, which is adapted to surround a scalp. Hood 7 may beattached to casing 6 by providing the dome with a circular apertureleaving a circular flange of proper diameter to snugly fit the forwardend of easing 6. The forward edge of said casing may be pressedoutwardly about the said circular flange making a rigid connectiontherewith. Casing 6 may be provided at its rear end with a reinforcingband8 of substantially heavy material, terminating in a pair ofdepending vertical members 8a which may be rigidly fixed to a shortswingable bracket 9. A suitable electric motor M is mounted at the rearend of easing 6 with its armature shaft extending concentrically of saidcasing and the case of motor M may be rigidly connected with the head10a of a T- shaped member 10, the stem of said T being clamped betweenor rigidly afiixed to the depending members 8a. The motor may be furthersecured by means of a clamping band 11 encircling the motor casing andsecured to the stem of member 10. The armature shaft of motor M projectsforwardly into casing 6 and has fiXed thereto a suitable fan or impellerF. the length of the blades thereof being slightly less than the radiusof casing 6 at the portion of the casing in which the fan is disposed.

Adjacent the forward end of the casing, a netting or screen X istransversely disposed, restricting slightly the projection of airthrough the casing and forming a guard to prevent the operator or persontreated from into the revolving inadvertently projepting the hands orhair an.

A cup-shaped detachable rear or intake end for our hair drier isprovided and this may comprise an open ended cylinder 12 constructed ofrelatively heavy grill or netting and adapted to be telescoped withinthe re inforcing band 8 at the rear of the casing and a reticulated capmember 13 rigidly secured to the rear edge of said netting. It will, ofcourse, be obvious that the entire rear end of the casing, includingelements 12 and 13 may be constructed integrally from a cup-shaped pieceof sheet material provided the end and cylindrical portion of thecup-shaped member are perforated or reticulated to such an extent thatthe intake of air will be substantially unrestricted.

It will be noted that the cup-shaped intake end of our casing houses therear portion of the motor casing, thereby economizing on the materialneeded for easing 6 and also facilitatirg the connection ordisconnection of the mounting for the heating element.

We prefer to provide means for quickly detaching the rear end of thecasing, and while any sultable means may be utilized we have illustratedfor this purpose a plurality of forwardly extending spring fingers 14connected at their rear ends to the cap member 13 and having smalloutwardly projecting pins 14a at their forward ends which are adapted toengage apertured portions of the reinforcing band 8 when pressedinwardly.

We provide a detachable heating element, which may be readily removedfrom the casing for repair or replacement without necessitatingdisconnection of bolts, screws or electric wires. A heating element E isarranged and mounted in annular shape and is disposed directly behindthe fan F and preferably surrounds the forward end of motor M for thepurpose of compactness and also to cause eflicient heating of the air.The detachable mounting for the heating element may comprise anupstanding insulated plate 15 carrym at its lower end a pair offorwardly and substantially horizontal conductors 16, which may be inthe form of tubes. The extremities of the heating element E are securedto the forward ends of conductors 16 in suitable manner and this may beeffected by projecting the said extremities into the ends of conductors16, (if the conductors are tubular) and by wedging pins 16a into theopen ends a ainst the said extremities of the heating e ement. Theheating element is held in annular shape by means of a series of curvedarms 17, which extend radially and forwardly from the upper end ofinsulating plate 15, the inner ends of said arms being insulated byconnection with said plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Radial arms 17may be constructed from resilient material, and as shown have turnedouter extremities on which small pads 18, of insulating material aresecured, said pads being adapted to engage the interior of casing 6 toassist in supportingthe hcatiugclcment and to prevent short circuitingthereof. Conductors 16 are connectedwitha pair of forwardly andhorizontally extending terminals 19 projecting from plate 15 a shortdistance.

above said conductors, and said terminals may be tubular and as shownformed intogrally with conductors 16. Terminals l9 detachably telescopewithin a pair of split tubular electric receiving terminals 20 which maybe secured in an insulating block 21 and which project 'rearwardly andhorizontally therefrom, said block being rigidly mounted upon the rearof the T-shaped motor supporting member 10. The receiving terminals 20are electrically connected by suitable service wires with the electricmotor and with the heating element. Electrical circuits through theheating element and motor are made through a suitable electrical switchS the contacts of which are preferably so arranged that the fan motormay be operated independently of the heating element or both ma beoperated together.

ur drier casing, as illustrated, is supported from a suitable uprightstandard,

which may comprise a pedestal or base 22.

havin diverging legs 22a, which may be supporte upon castors 23. Anupright tube 24 is rigidly secured at its lower end to base 22 and hastelescoped in the upper portion thereof a post 25. Post 25 may carry a.head 26 at its upper end, terminating in a substantiallz flat attachmenttongue 26a to which the brac et- 9 is swivelly and frictionally secured.The lower end of the post 25 may float upon a coiled spring 27 disposedwithin the lower portion of tube 24 and reacting against the closed endof base 22. A hand wheel, set screw or other suitable device 28 may berovided at the upper end of tube 24 for rigi ly securing post 25 in adesired vertical position with reference to the tube 24.

Operation In operation, assuming the electrical circuit through themotor and heating elements to be'closed, a substantially unrestrictedintake of air through the rear of the casing is.

efi'ected, due to the cup-shaped member comprising elements 14 and 12,both of which are reticulated. As indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, airis drawn into the casing axially thereof through cap member 13 and alsolaterally or radially of the casing through the cylindrical grill ornetting 12. Most of the air passes between the motor case and the driercasing and consequently is impinged III against the annularly arrangedheating element E directly at the rear of the fan. Particles of air arethus efi'ectively heated before they strike or pass through fan F. Asmall amount of air will be drawn by'the fan through the interiorof themotor, cooling the same.

It willbe noted that the fanis disposed in the medial and taperedportion of the easing and in addition to projecting the -air through thecasing disintegrates and admixes the heated particles of air with theunheated I particles, the air passing through the forward seen that we'have portion of the casing under some pressure due to the tapering ofthe casing and the transverse guard netting 11. The air is, there fore,discharged within the confining hood 7 with some force and isdistributed by said hood over and about the scalp of a'person to betreated.

Due to the'admixture and agitation of the heated particles of air by thefan within the restricted portion of the casing, the temperature of theair at different points within the hood will be substantially the same,and consequently a uniform drying of the-hair is effected with ourdevice.

The cup-shaped and perforated rear end of the drier casing may bequickly removed by' disengaging the pins 14m from the apertured portionof reinforcing band 8, rendering accessible the motor, fan and heatingelement for cleaning, dusting or repair. The heating element and itsmounting may be easily removed from within the casing by merelydisengaging the forwardly extending electric terminals 19 from thetubular receiving sockets or terminals 20. This is convenientlyaccomplished by grasping the central portion of the insulating late 15and drawing it rearwardlyaway rom the motor. Cool air may be projectedagainst the scalp by turning the switch indicator to position 2 asillustrated in the drawing, thereby closing only the circuit through themotor fan.

In most driers on the market at this time the restriction of the intakeend of the casing and relation between the intake end and forwardportion of the casing produces a swift centrifugal swirling motion ofthe air delivered in the confining hood. This results in objectionabledead air spots within the hood, preventing the uniform drying of thehair.

With our device, the intake" of air is substantially unrestricted, dueto the cupshaped rear end of the casin which is perforated axially andcircum erentially and the forward end is slightly restricted. Theswirling motion of the air is minimized due to this structure andcombination and exhaustive tests have shown that,through0ut the entirearea of the hood there are no dead air spots and the temperature issubstantially uniform.

From the foregoing description it will be grovided an extremel simplebut highly e cient hair drier whic may be produced at low cost, which iscompact in structure requiring a relatively smallamount of material andwhich, due to the added, function of the fan in thoroughly mixing theheated and unheated particles of air passing through the casing, insuresa uniform and rapid drying of the hair.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hair drier, a tubular casing having an air discharge passage atits forward end, and an open rear end, a fan or impeller for projectingair through said casing, a heating element arranged annularly withinsaid casing, and a detachable mounting for said heating elementcomprising a vertical plate, a series of resilient arms connected withthe upper portion of said plate and extending radially and forwardlythereof, said arms being connected with said heating element, a pair offorwardly extending electric terminals connected with said heatingelement and a pair of complementary electric terminals mounted in therear of said casing and pro-' mentioned terminals may be detachablyconnected, the outer ends of said arms yieldingly engaging the interiorof said casing and cooperating with the connection between saidterminals to retain'said heating element and mounting in operativeposition within said casing.

2. In a hair drier, a tubular casing having a relatively large airintake passage at its rear end and tapering from itsrear to its forwardend, a motor mounted axially within said casing and a fan secured to theforward end of the armature shaft of said motor, a heating elementmounted in said casing just rearwardly of said fan and surrounding theforward end of said motor, and a cupshaped member detachably secured tothe rear edge of said casing and having a multiplicity ofcircumferentially arranged intake apertures in the body thereof and aseries of air intake apertures in the rear wall thereof adapted topermit a substantially unrestricted intake of air and a portablestandard supporting said casing. 3. In a hair drier,"a casing having anair intake opening at its rear end and an air discharge passage at itsforward end, a fan or impeller mounted in said casing for projectingair, a heating element in the rear of said casing and a detachablemounting for said heating element comprising aplate, a series of armssecured to said plate and extending outwardly therefrom connected attheir outer ends with said heating element to arrange the same annularlywithin said casing, said 4. In a hair drier, a portable standard, asupporting ring secured to the upper end of said standard, a tubularcasing, the rear end of which is secured to said ring and supportedthereby, a motor disposed axially of said casing and secured to saidsupporting ring, a fan connected with the armature shaft of said motor,a heating element disposed within said casing and a cup-shaped closuremember detachably connected with theedge of said supporting ring andenclosing said motor, said closure having a multiplicity of air entranceapertures.

In testimony whereof'we afiix our signatures.

' PAUL KUNIAN.

ARCHER M. DOUGLAS.

